Android and iOS devices notched up 96 per cent of 2014 global sales

by2/25/2015 11:59:35 AM

2/25/2015 11:59:35 AM

By Jay Jay

Android clocked just over a billion smartphone sales globally in 2014, dominating by a huge margin in a year that saw 1.3 billion smartphone sales around the world, says the all-new IDC report for 2014.

Apple, powered by the new iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus, finished with 192 million phone sold in the same period.

Together, both Android and iOS shared 96 per cent of the spoils. However, the performance of Windows phone was completely overshadowed by the two major competing platforms.

It saw market share dip from 3.3 per cent in 2013 to 2.7 per cent in 2014. Blackberry brought up the rear with a dismal 0.4 per cent market share, nearing possible extinction if the trend continues.

Apple's performance picked up later in the year after the two new iPhones were launched. In the fourth quarter alone, Apple notched up nearly 19.7 per cent of the overall sales. Speaking on the launch of the report, IDC analyst Melissa Chau said, "Instead of a battle for the third ecosystem after Android and iOS, 2014 instead yielded skirmishes, with Windows Phone edging out BlackBerry, Firefox, Sailfish and the rest, but without any of these platforms making the kind of gains needed to challenge the top two. With Microsoft bringing ever-cheaper Lumia into play and Tizen finally getting launched to India early this year, there is still a hunger to chip away at Android's dominance."